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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. club — for golf
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. club — a group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rule — government
  12. pop — to visit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. row — a line
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pop — soda
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com